Kei aku nui, kei aku rahi, tēnā koutou katoa i roto i ngā āhuatanga o te wā.

Welcome to the 2022 school year. I would especially like to welcome the new families and whānau who have joined our school community. I hope that this year will be the first of many happy associations with our wonderful school. We look forward to working in partnership with you to support your child’s learning.

Omicron

We have all seen very large numbers of cases overseas and we will very likely see much larger numbers of cases in Aotearoa than we have previously experienced in the last two years. While Omicron is more transmissible than previous strains, most people who get COVID-19 will have a mild to moderate illness and will fully recover in their own home.

However, some of our community who are immune compromised, are ill or have other vulnerabilities, even when they are fully vaccinated, could be more affected by Omicron. So, we all need to continue to play our part to minimise the spread of the virus.

We know that the spread of Omicron is in everyone’s thoughts. We are continuing to review our Health and Safety Plans and measures as more advice becomes available in relation to Traffic Light Red setting to ensure we are able to support everyone learning onsite. Already, this has necessitated some changes to our systems, practice and programmes so we thought it important that we send out this newsletter early.

If you need to speak to one of the staff we would ask that you ring the school office. Staff will either ring you back or arrange to talk over Google Meet/Zoom.

When dropping off your child we would ask that you not enter the school grounds or buildings.

If your child is sick at school and one of our Support Staff rings to ask you to pick them up, please ring when you arrive outside school and one of the office staff will escort your child to the car.

If your child is sick please keep them home. If they have Covid-19 symptoms please ensure that you organise for them to be tested and ensure that they do not return to school until they receive a negative test result and clearance to return to school.

Face coverings

Staff and children in Years 4-13 must wear face masks when inside at school when we are at Red. The ‘Unite Against COVID-19’ website also has information on how to make a face covering. Public health advice is that an appropriate face covering will fit snugly and seal well around facial contours. This can include single use, disposable masks (medical masks) and reusable fabric masks with three layers.

Don’t worry if you don’t have these specific types of face coverings, as public health experts also say that any face mask is better than no face covering.

For those of you with children who might be reluctant to wear a face covering, there is some helpful advice from Michigan Health, including using simple, specific explanations about why they need to wear a face covering, adults being the role models, providing small rewards for wearing them, or letting them choose/make the mask.

Ventilation

Providing good old-fashioned fresh air remains the most important thing we can do in our learning spaces to minimise risk (i.e.ensuring that windows and doors are open). We will also be receiving a CO2 monitor in the coming weeks to further support our ventilation plan.

Events and activities

Large hui and gatherings especially when indoors continue to be one of the riskier activities we could undertake. We are therefore in the process of reviewing events and activities for the upcoming term to ensure we meet the health guidance for Red. We have already postponed Sports Day and cancelled a number of events such as the Mihi Whakatau and the Year 9 ‘Open House’ parent evening. Along with our regular newsletters, we will update our website as we review future events.

Managing cases in our school

We have a good contact tracing system in place so that if there is a confirmed case who has been at school while infectious, we can quickly identify who was a close contact of that person. We will then quickly advise those contacts of what they need to do.

At Red we will keep everyone learning on-site for as long as we can. Only if the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Education advises us to do so, would we consider closing physical on-site schooling and moving to distance learning for everyone.

Please make sure your contact details we have on file are up to date, so we can get in touch with you if needed. You can update your contact details on our website Portal.

Preparing for COVID-19

You can also prepare for COVID-19, making sure you and your household have a plan and know what to do. This will mean your whānau and community can help each other if needed. Find out more here:

• Be prepared for COVID-19

• Download the COVID-19 Readiness Checklist [PDF, 121 KB]

• What to expect when self-isolating at home

Vaccination

Vaccination, including a booster shot, remains an important tool to help prevent the most serious harm from the COVID-19 virus. If young adults who have been vaccinated do develop COVID-19, they are far less likely to get seriously ill and less likely to transmit the virus to others.

Self-isolating at home because of COVID-19

Many people will be able to manage self-isolation with help from friends and whānau, but there is help available if you need it – both with health support and access to food and other essentials.

• What to expect when self-isolating at home | Unite against COVID-19 (covid19.govt.nz)

• Getting extra support if you have COVID-19 or are self-isolating | Unite against COVID-19 (covid19.govt.nz)

• COVID-19 positive – managing your symptoms | Health Navigator NZ

If you know anyone in the community affected by COVID-19 and who may need help, such as food and other financial assistance, Work and Income has a range of supports available for individuals, families, employers and self-employed people affected by COVID-19.

Work and Income support

The beginning of the year can be a tough time for parents who are faced with many costs and it is important you are aware of what assistance you may be able to get from Work and Income. These are available to people on a low income as well as those on a benefit.

Check what you might get here:

• School costs

• Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) Subsidy

• Other Childcare Assistance

• School and Year Start-up Payment (for people getting Orphan’s Benefit or Unsupported Child’s benefit)

• Help with living costs (including food and rent/mortgage)

Use the links above or call 0800 559 009 to find out more, or to apply.

MoneyTalks can assist with free budgeting and debt help.

You can also contact your local community provider. Please find more information here.

Getting ready to return to school

The Ministry of Education has some helpful information on their Parents and Whānau website to support your tamariki to get back to school. There is also a very important reminder about how you can take care of yourself.

While this might all feel a little overwhelming at times, we know that all these measures will help your child return to school and do what they enjoy.

We are also here to help. Please get in touch if you have any concerns or need help in any way - later in this newsletter you will find the contact details for Wānanga Teachers, Deans, Heads of House, Leaders of learning, and the Senior Leadership team. Please do contact us if you wish to discuss your child’s progress or have any concerns that you would like to discuss.

Ngā Mihi, rā

Karen Stewart

Principal/Tumuaki